$5,000 in 1998 is worth $10,275.46 today

$5,000 in 1998 has the same buying power as

$10,275.46 in August 2026

That is 106% more, an average inflation rate of 2.59% a year over 28 years.

Put the other way, $5,000 today buys what $2,432.98 bought in 1998. Cash kept under the mattress since 1998 has lost 51% of its value.

$5,000 from nearby years

$5,000 inWorth in August 2026Inflation that year
1993$11,591.003.0%
1994$11,301.622.6%
1995$10,990.162.8%
1996$10,674.953.0%
1997$10,435.512.3%
1998$10,275.461.6%
1999$10,053.422.2%
2000$9,726.483.4%
2001$9,457.372.8%
2002$9,310.171.6%
2003$9,102.722.3%

How $5,000 from 1998 grew

$0.00$2000$4000$6000$8000$10K$12K2000200520102015202020252026.625: $10K
$5,000 from 1998 in each later year's dollars

$5,000 of 1998 spending, by category

Not everything rose at the same pace. What $5,000 spent on each of these in 1998 costs today:

CategoryCost in August 2026
Food$10,902.86
Rent$13,044.65
Gasoline$19,636.35
Medical care$12,247.07
New cars$6,266.21
College tuition$16,109.92
Electricity$12,168.64
Clothing$5,141.05

Try a different amount or date

$5,000.00 in 1998 has the same buying power as

$10,275.46 in August 2026

Prices rose 105.5% in total, an average of 2.59% a year.

Questions

How much is $5,000 in 1998 worth today?
$5,000 in 1998 is worth $10,275.46 in August 2026 dollars, according to the U.S. Consumer Price Index.
How much would I need today to match $5,000 in 1998?
You would need $10,275.46 to buy what $5,000 bought in 1998. That is 2.06 times as much.
How much buying power has $5,000 lost since 1998?
Kept as cash, $5,000 from 1998 buys only what $2,432.98 of 1998 money bought. It has lost 51% of its buying power.
What was inflation in 1998?
Prices rose 1.6% in 1998. Since then the average has been 2.59% a year.

Other amounts from 1998

$5,000 in other decades

Everything about inflation in 1998